• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.235-245
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• 2023

Forest fuel moisture content is a crucial factor influencing the combustion rate and fuel consumption during forest fires, significantly impacting the occurrence and spread of wildfires. In this study, meteorological data were gathered using a meteorological measuring device (HOBO data logger) installed in the south and north slopes of Kangwon National University Forest, as well as on bare land outside the forest, from November 1, 2021, to October 31, 2022. The objective was to analyze the relationship between meteorological data and fuel moisture content. Fuel moisture content from the ground cover on the south and north slopes was collected. Fallen leaves on the ground were utilized, with a focus on broad-leaved trees (Prunus serrulata, Quercus dentata, Quercus mongolica, and Castanea crenata) and coniferous trees (Pinus densiflora and Pinus koraiensis), categorized by species. Additionally, correlation analysis with fuel moisture content was conducted using temperature (average, maximum, and minimum), humidity (average, minimum), illuminance (average, maximum, and minimum), and wind speed (average, maximum, and minimum) data collected by meteorological measuring devices in the study area. The results indicated a significant correlation between meteorological factors such as temperature, humidity, illuminance, and wind speed, and the moisture content of fuels. Notably, exceptions were observed for the moisture content of the on the north slope and that of the ground cover of Prunus serrulata and Castanea crenata.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.21-32
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• 2007

Fire fuel map is one of the most critical factors for planning and managing the fire hazard and risk. However, fuel mapping is extremely difficult because fuel properties vary at spatial scales, change depending on the seasonal situations and are affected by the surrounding environment. Remote sensing has potential to reduce the uncertainty in mapping fuels and offers the best approach for improving our abilities. Especially, Hyperspectral sensor have a great potential for mapping vegetation properties because of their high spectral resolution. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the potential of mapping fuel properties using Hyperion hyperspectral remote sensing data acquired in April, 2002. Fuel properties are divided into four broad categories: 1) fuel moisture, 2) fuel green live biomass, 3) fuel condition and 4) fuel types. Fuel moisture and fuel green biomass were assessed using canopy moisture, derived from the expression of liquid water in the reflectance spectrum of plants. Fuel condition was assessed using endmember fractions from spectral mixture analysis (SMA). Fuel types were classified by fuel models based on the results of SMA. Although Hyperion imagery included a lot of sensor noise and poor performance in liquid water band, the overall results showed that Hyperion imagery have good potential for wildfire fuel mapping.

• Proceedings of the Korea Institute of Fire Science and Engineering Conference
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• 2008.04a
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• pp.333-336
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• 2008

This study is the result between the variation of fuel moisture and the risk of forest fire through measuring the change of moisture containing ratio on-site and its average analysis for each diameter of surface dead fuels in the forest. The measurement was performed on six days from the day after a rainfall. The fuel moisture on-site was measured on the day when the accumulated rainfall was above 5.0mm, and the measurements was 2 times in spring. From the pine forest which were distributed around Samcheok and Donghae in Kangwondo, three regions were selected by loose, medium, and dense forest density, and the fuel moisture was measured on the ranges which are less than 0.6cm, 0.6-3.0cm, 3.0-6.0cm, and more than 6.0cm in the forest for six days from the day after a rainfall. The study showed that the moisture containing ratio converged on 3 - 4 days for surface deads fuels which diameter are less than 3.0cm and the convergence was made more than six days for ones which diameters are more than 3.0cm except the surface dead fuel of 3.0-6.0cm diameter of loose forest density.

• 한국방재학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2008.02a
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• pp.149-152
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• 2008

This study is the result between the variation of fuel moisture and the risk of forest fire through measuring the change of moisture containing ratio on-site and its average analysis for fallen leaves layer, humus layer, and soil layer in the forest. The measurement was performed on six days from the day after a rainfall. The fuel moisture on-site was measured on the day when the accumulated rainfall was above 5.0mm, and the measurements was 2 times in spring and 1 time in fall. From the pine forest which were distributed around Samcheok and Donghae in Kangwondo, three regions were selected by loose, medium, and dense forest density, and the fuel moisture was measured on fallen leaves layer, humus layer, and soil layer in the forest. for six days from the day after a rainfall. The study showed that the moisture containing ratio converged on 3 - 4 days in spring and fall for fallen leaves layer, and the convergence was made more than six days in spring and fall for the humus layer. In the other case of soil layer, the variation of moisture containing ratio after rainfall was not distinguishable regardless of season.

• 한국연소학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1999.10a
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• pp.81-91
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• 1999

Fuel characteristics of sewage sludge as required for the fluidized bed incinerators have been evaluated. Sewage sludge is basically a solid fuel with high percentage of moisture. Moisture content of the fuel directly affects the heating value of the fuel and the exhaust gas composition. When the sludge of transported into the incinerator, sludge cake is subject to the mixing, break-up and heat-up. Fluidization process would enhance these physical processes. The sludge fuel could then undergo the moisture evaporation and devolatilization process. Subsequent oxidation of volatiles as well as the remaining char would then follow. Sludge samples are characterized with high percentage of volatiles out of total combustibles. Quantitative understanding of above listed subprocesses would certainly help in the utilization of fluidized bed incinerators. A limited set of fuel characterization tests including calorimetric analysis, proximate analysis, elemental analysis and thermogravimetric analysis were conducted for the selected sludge samples. The measurement reasults of sludge samples were reported along with some published data. Limited experience in the actual incinerator plant is also presented.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.49-60
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• 2012

The change in fuel moisture in accordance with the number of days after rainfall is an important factor in predicting forest fire dangers and supporting forest fire rangers. Therefore, in order to clear up these forest fire occurrence conditions, forest fire danger levels for surface fuel 0.6 cm or lower, 0.6~3.0 cm, 3.0~6.0 cm, and 6.0 cm or above by fallen leaves layer, humus layer, soil layer, and diameter after rainfall of 5.0 mm and higher in accordance with tree density in 2008, 2009 Spring/Autumn Young Dong region have been analyzed. Research showed an approximate 17 % fuel moisture which is a dangerous forest fire occurrence level after 5 days from rainfall in medium-density areas and 3 days after rainfall in loose-density areas of Spring time in the fallen leaves layer. On the other hand, the humus layer showed a 40 % or higher fuel humidity even after 6 days from rainfall regardless of the season, while the upper and lower parts of the soil layer had a little change. In loose-density areas with 0.6 cm or less surface fuel per diameter in Spring time, the fuel humidity displayed a dangerous level in fire forest occurrence after 3 days, and 4days in medium-density areas, and for loose-density areas with 0.6~3.0 cm surface fuel per diameter in Autumn time it showed a dangerous level in forest fire occurrence after 3 days, and for medium-density areas, 5 days. In the case of 3.0~6.0 cm of fuel moisture per diameter in both Spring and Autumn times, even after 6 days, low and medium-density areas showed that they maintain fuel moisture and therefore the dangers of forest fires were very low, and in the case of 6.0 cm or higher, it showed 25 % or higher fuel moisture even after 6 days from rainfall regardless of the season.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Combustion
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.23-32
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• 2008

Gasification characteristics in the fluidized bed reactor are essential for the design of a gasification furnace to optimize the operation condition. Moisture content of the solid fuel is one of the important factors to influence directly the gasification characteristics. So it is necessary to investigate the effect of moisture content of solid fuel in partial oxidation condition. Gasification characteristics are investigated with results from thermogravimetric analyzer and lab-scale fluidized bed reactor for wood and RDF samples along with changing moisture contents. Additionally lab-scale fluidized bed reactor was run continuously and gas concentrations at the exit were measured. It is observed that the rate of reaction in partial oxidation condition is between the results from the combustion environment and from the inert condition. Moisture content in a particle slows down the heating rate of a particle. So, reaction is delayed by the moisture content. However, RDF samples those are easy to break-up don't show the effect of moisture content. The result of continuous operation condition shows that proper moisture content promotes gasification because steam from the particles helps gasification of the solid fuel. A simulation to predict the syn-gas composition was conducted by the Aspen Plus process simulator. The cold gas efficiency of the experiment was compared with results from the simulation.

• 한국연소학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.161-167
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• 2007

Gasification characteristics in the fluidized bed reactor are essential for the design of a gasification furnace to optimize the operation condition. Moisture content of the solid fuel is one of the important factors to influence directly the gasification characteristics. So it is necessary to investigate the effect of moisture content of solid fuel in gasification process. Gasification characteristics are investigated with results from thermogravimetric analyser and lab-scale fluidized bed reactor for wood and RDF samples along with changing moisture contents. Additionally lab-scale fluidized bed reactor was run continuously and gas concentrations at the exit were measured. It is observed that the rate of reaction in partial oxidation condition is in between the results from the combustion environment and from the inert condition. Moisture content in a particle slows down the heating rate of a particle. So, reaction time is delayed by the moisture content. However, RDF samples that are easy to break-up doesn't show the effect of moisture content. The results of continuous operation condition shows that proper moisture content promotes gasification because steam from the particles helps gasifcation of the sold fuel.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.18-26
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• 2010

The change of fuel moisture according to the passed days after a raindrop is very important to forecast risk of forest fire and to make a good use of forest fire watchmen. For that reason, in the Spring of 2007, we researched pine forest that were widespread growing in Yeongdong region to find out the condition of forest fire risk. We developed the forecast model of fuel moisture change on dead tree branches which were dropped on the ground and less than 0.6 cm, 0.6~3.0 cm, 3.0~6.0 cm, and more than 6.0 cm in diameter after more than 5.0 mm in precipitation. The result showed that the less diameter of ground fuel and small stand of pines the faster diminishing of fuel moisture, and the days of reaching to a forest fire danger fuel moisture level were represented by two (2) days for less than 0.6 cm diameter of small stand of pine and three (3) days for 0.6~3.0 cm diameter one, respectively. By those results, we developed the forecast model($R^2=0.76{\sim}0.92$) of fuel moisture change on different diameter of small stand of pine, and found that the model had statistical significant of 1% level after we applied it to the data of 2008 after the same period of raindrop by actual meteorological measurement.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Combustion
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.16-23
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• 2009

It is strongly desired for coal-fired power plants to utilize not only low-rank coals with high moisture contents, but also lowering cost with diversifying fuel sources. In this study, combustion characteristics of low rank coal with high moisture, and standard pulverized coals are experimentally investigated using TGA (Thermogravimetric Analysis) and DTF (drop tube furnace). The coals tested are three kinds of coal with moisture content ranging from 8.32 to 26.82%. The results show that under the air combustion condition, the burn-out time at TGA rises as moisture content increases, and standard pulverized coal with 8.32% moisture content showed the lowest activation energy of 55.73 kJ/mol. In case of the high amount of moisture, the combustion efficiency decreases due to evaporation heat loss, and unburned carbon in ash produced at combustion process in DTF increased. Aslo, initial deformation temperature of slag attached in alumina tube of DTF decreased with lowering the crytallinity of anorthite and augite. To improve the combustion reactivity and efficiency, it is effective to upgrade through drying the high moisture coal to moisture level (less than 10%) of standard pulverized coal.